Beresford Bushmaster DAC Reviews

[loonytunes]

Mine arrived today, so I thought I'd kick off a review thread.

I know that StanDACs need to run in, but just out of the box it's a stunner!

Stereo focus and fine detail is a step-up from what I have heard before - from StanDACs or anything else for that matter.

Delicacy, fine detail, articulation - all exemplary.

Blimey, Stan - at first listen, it's a stonker!

I know you've had experience with a modified Marantz CD48 which employs the TDA1549 DAC, and you liked what it did (even though everything about it was not perfect). I too own an old CD48 (not modified though) and what this player does right it does superbly. Does Stan's DAC achieve what the CD48 does at its best do you think?

Yes it would seem churlish to compare the excellent, modern and up-to-date Bushmaster with an old dog like the CD48 when other are comparing this with a Naim for example - but my personal experience with the CD48 is excellent.

[jandl100]

I know you've had experience with a modified Marantz CD48 which employs the TDA1549 DAC, and you liked what it did (even though everything about it was not perfect). I too own an old CD48 (not modified though) and what this player does right it does superbly. Does Stan's DAC achieve what the CD48 does at its best do you think?

Yes it would seem churlish to compare the excellent, modern and up-to-date Bushmaster with an old dog like the CD48 when other are comparing this with a Naim for example - but my personal experience with the CD48 is excellent.

Yes, I agree, the TDA1549-chipped CDPs are very very good - I first came across a reference to the "TDA1549 magic" on the Lampizator site, where he reckoned a Philips CD751 (I think) was as good as, or better than, a top Wadia! I was intrigued and as the Philips machines are cheap as chips I bought one on eBay.

Well, maybe Lampi is prone to a bit of exaggeration but yes, there is a real midrange magic to be had, a natural musical flow and insight. No, it doesn't do full justice to Big Music, and certainly not in the way that a good Wadia can, but in its own way it does sound better than most digital and certainly represents superb value at £30 or so from t'Bay.

And, yes, I bought another TDA1549 machine, a Marantz CD48, but with a valve output stage added. The mids suddenly got even better - a very special machine (I've just sold it and the new owner is over the moon and is selling his old Pink Triangle DAC!! It also demolished an Audiolab MDAC in small to medium scale music.) - but the bass loses some of the quite decent slam available from the Philips machine. Of course, all is not necessarily equal comparing the Philips and Marantz machines anyway - PSU, laser mech (?), chassis build etc would all be different. Nonetheless, there is enough in common between the sounds that a) I am inclined to attribute the magic mids heard from both to the TDA1549 chip and b) I am inclined to attribute the weaker bass from the Marantz to the valved output stage.
I might be wrong, though!

Anyhoo -- where were we? Ah yes! - the Bushmaster DAC.
Yeah, it does it all!
I would have thought the 'honeymoon' period should be over for me by now - I've had it about 6 weeks now - but it recently trounced a £2k unit that passed thru Jerry Towers, and I still love the Bushmaster sound madly/deeply.
Yes, it betters the midrange magic of the TDA1549, although I might be persuaded to concede that the TDA1549 mids are 'nicer' in a somewhat laidback and free-flowing way. I think that's a colouration, though!

I still rate the Bushmaster as the best digital I have heard, although it's a bit of a case of swings and roundabouts with the other top CDP I have owned - a £25k Krell KPS25c. It's hard to argue with the slam and precision of the Krell and the way it hangs an amazingly well focussed soundstage. But I think the Bushmaster beats it in terms of the naturalness of its 3D soundstaging when suitably partnered, and the rez, transparency and speed is easily up there, too.

_____
All of the above is just ime & imho, of course!

[gilesw]

Oh well, I've just ordered a Bushmaster. I'll try and do some testing against the Naim before I box it all up. Tempting to get another mini-t amp to plum into my Denon amp with it.

[loonytunes]

(I've just sold it and the new owner is over the moon and is selling his old Pink Triangle DAC!! It also demolished an Audiolab MDAC in small to medium scale music.)

Thanks for being very comprehensive with your reply! I assume you finally sold your CD48 due to the Bushmaster - else perhaps you would still be clinging onto it a reference for its strong points.

Has the Bushmaster been fussy with the upstream transport? Or is it quite consistent no matter the host? The convenience of a Squeezebox Touch is tempting but not at the expense of ultimate SQ.

[vinylspinner]

Hi Jerry,

Would the BM improve on the Musical Fidelity A5? I know you had one at Jerry Towers for a little while, would like to hear your opinion.

Nigel

[Yomanze]

Well its to do with non ideal cable termination and reflections for the wave length of the signal...1.5m came up as the minimum length somewhere I read...longer maybe better in multiples of 1.5m but for practical considerations 1.5 is OK.

5 metres is the way to go.

From an RF engineer who knows more about this than I ever will...

As for the Bushmaster, Stan or anyone else who knows, is there a 30 days return policy?

[edmondwolfman]

5 metres is the way to go.

From an RF engineer who knows more about this than I ever will...

As for the Bushmaster, Stan or anyone else who knows, is there a 30 days return policy?

I saw something about a return policy on one of the sites but I didn't read it. From what I've seen on the forums if the BM doesn't work for you for any reason Stan wouldn't try to make you keep it....but don't use it for 3-6 months and then say "I'm not happy with it" like I've seen some do at a restaurant, eat almost everything and then say "I didn't like this, I don't want to pay"

[Darren]

I too use a Touch and after carefully listening I found that optical connection to sound better than coax. I tried both and optical was just better...at least in my system.

Agree with that. The optical connection does seem optimal for the touch

[Darren]

I'd like to try a Bushmaster in my work system but am deeply skeptical regarding substantial differences between reasonable dacs - certainly I've never heard any though my experience is limited.

[synsei]

I can assure you that there can be substantial differences Darren. The two DAC's I've owned, a Beresford Caiman and a CA DacMagic were as different as chalk and cheese. I prefer the sound of the Caiman having found the DacMagic to be far too polite for my ears.